Lindsay Mitchell

Some good news. We don't hear much about US crime here in NZ but I have tracked it in keeping with my interest in their welfare reforms....

Here is a vivid description of the law of unintended consequences. The Australian government is waging war against alcohol abuse amongst so...

Newspapers from 100 years ago are more interesting than the present offerings. The PM Joseph Ward explains how existing public debt will b...

The Ashburton Guardian, December 28, 1910

This painting had me hovering for ages yesterday at the European Masters exhibition currently showing at Te Papa. The chance to see an orig...

To my surprise the NZ Herald published my latest submission. Not that they never publish me, but it was fairly hard-hitting. The comments f...

Here is the problem - or part of it. These are the words of the former Children's Commissioner, Ian Hassall, on the subject of abused c...

The Ministry of Social Development , on behalf of CYF, are acting as a collection agency for the unnamed 9 year-old abuse victim. They have ...

Responding to the most recent high profile child abuse case, the Minister for Social Development and Employment, Paula Bennett (NZ Herald,...

The work continues to come in. I had a lull and produced the following sketch, framed it and hung it ready for sale. Sold another painting y...

If my blog was a child it would be starting school tomorrow - except there is no school tomorrow. Yeh for school holidays. The five years it...

Here is a very scary story that details the potential for new government taxes (levies or fines) through compulsory, tracked, recycling. Ci...

I deliberated over whether to title this post "It's a bit late now" or "It's never too late". Ex UK minister in ...

Yesterday this was left in my letterbox; The first thing I note is that the complaint is unsigned. Which immediately raises my hackles - lik...

Welfare, including Super, accounts for one third of expenditure. In 2006 Treasury forecast welfare expenses in 2010 would be $18.975 billion...

Now Tapu Misa is beating the give-the-In-Work-tax-credit-to-beneficiary-families drum. And more generally, reducing child poverty requires ...

Yesterday I was being interviewed by Larry Williams when I came out with 'benefit package'. We shouldn't talk about people being...

The NZ Herald reports ; "The alternative group, chaired by Massey University social policy expert Mike O'Brien and including former...

The Alternative Working Welfare Group presents its final report today. I can't find an associated media release but just heard Sue Brad...

Still sketching every day in Eastbourne. Painting sales leave a lot to be desired but the pastel commissions are steady. Here's one pick...